[Tommy Williamsen]

I just returned from a ten day golf trip to the Carolinas. We played some very good courses but the fairways for the most part were rather flat and uninteresting. Some, like Sedgefield had some slope but for the most part there was little movement.
Contrast that with this view of the sixth hole at Westward Ho! It may be my favorite fairway in all of golf. It is downhill and brilliant.


Looking back from the green.

[Adam Lawrence]

Royal Hague's tenth takes some beating

[MClutterbuck]

Tommy, how much elevation change is there from tee to green? Yardage?


Is the mounding natural?


For the architects, is the mounding a solution for a severe downhill hole to stop drives?

[Jon Wiggett]

Either the second or the fourth at Boat of Garten.


Jon

[Mark Pritchett]

I really like the fairways on number 8 and 9 at Prairie Dunes. 

[Tommy Williamsen]

Tommy, how much elevation change is there from tee to green? Yardage?


Is the mounding natural?


For the architects, is the mounding a solution for a severe downhill hole to stop drives?

It is natural indeed. The entire course is pretty natural. I don't think Fowler moved much at all. I would guess the vertical drop is not more than thirty feet.

[Ally Mcintosh]

The sixth at Westward Ho has fantastic moguls... But it isn't a patch on the fifth at Strandhill.

[Ronald Montesano]

I don't think I could snowboard that fairway, much less golf it. That is a stunner. My knees would be shot. My niece would be shot.


I love the 5th at Ballyhack. I love the 6th at Eastward Ho! I love the 7th at Old Town.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gId6nrMDmUU


I love lamp!

[Greg Gilson]

Durban 2 and/or 18?

[Joe Hancock]

Tommy,

I like that random rumple stuff as much as anyone, but am starting to question its greatness as a strategic feature. It really becomes a landscape preference for me.

Today, my wife and I were having a breakfast sandwich near the first tees at Sand Valley. I watched a guy hit a low line drive that caught a downslope, which propelled the shot to within a few yards of the green. I realized the contour he  benefited from was much larger and obvious than much of the surrounding, smaller stuff...making it a viable goal from the tee to attempt to use it. It also made me realize that a smart player with less club might outplay an unwitting player with more club, as I watched his playing partner hit a much "better" shot that didn't go as far.

I don't see any strategic value in your picture, just random luck on bounce and subsequent lie. I would love to hear more to further your opinion of it's brilliance.

[Ian Andrew]

[Tom_Doak]

I like that random rumple stuff as much as anyone, but am starting to question its greatness as a strategic feature. It really becomes a landscape preference for me.

I don't see any strategic value in your picture, just random luck on bounce and subsequent lie. I would love to hear more to further your opinion of it's brilliance.

My choice to the initial question is the 8th fairway at Crystal Downs.  It has elements of random luck on the lie and stance for the second shot, but then a clear preference for where to position that second shot in order to make the third shot easier.


To Joe's point, the far end of the second shot emphasizes strategy, because the contours are big enough to allow a player to consider whether to play for the right side and its easier approach [and risk getting into the nasty rough to the right], or just play safely up the middle to avoid the right rough.  But, that question would be much easier to answer if it weren't for the vagaries of the wildly undulating first landing area.  When you draw a tough stance there, which is mostly random other than if you're strong enough to hit past the worst of it, you have to make different considerations for your NEXT shot.  So there IS strategy, even though it happens a bit later in the process than Joe was recognizing.

[Peter Pallotta]

Joe's point/question is a very good one.

On the one course by Mike Devries that I've played, he did a fine job of crafting/utlizing big features in a meaningful and strategic way -- and, while these features "stood out" (from the surrounding landscapes and fields of play), their strategic import was rarely "obvious".

Peter

[Jon Cavalier]

Since Tom beat me to the 8th at Crystal Downs:






I'll nominate the 6th at Eastward Ho:







(The 5th and the 12th are pretty terrific too):



 

[BHoover]

The fairways at White Bear Yacht Club are probably worthy of discussion as well.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Tommy,

I like that random rumple stuff as much as anyone, but am starting to question its greatness as a strategic feature. It really becomes a landscape preference for me.

Today, my wife and I were having a breakfast sandwich near the first tees at Sand Valley. I watched a guy hit a low line drive that caught a downslope, which propelled the shot to within a few yards of the green. I realized the contour he  benefited from was much larger and obvious than much of the surrounding, smaller stuff...making it a viable goal from the tee to attempt to use it. It also made me realize that a smart player with less club might outplay an unwitting player with more club, as I watched his playing partner hit a much "better" shot that didn't go as far.

I don't see any strategic value in your picture, just random luck on bounce and subsequent lie. I would love to hear more to further your opinion of it's brilliance.

There is a little bunker down the right side. It is where the white rock is on the left part of the picture. I've played the hole a couple of dozen times. I try to hit it down the left side. I have had some horrendous bounces and some great bounces as well. I like the randomness about the tee shot. I just never know what the second shot will be. I wouldn't like this on every hole but once in a while it makes for some excitement.  The hole is shortish so I never have anymore than a short iron into the hole. All I can say is that when I stand on the first tee I can't wait to hit my tee ball on six.

[Sean_A]

There are literally hundreds of very cool fairways featuring all manner and size of elevation, humps and hollows. I am partial to holes where the mounding/hollows can create a blind approach.  I am also partial to the wild fairways which flow into a wild green...creating a visual line of harmony if you will.  While I like the wild fairways with greens that have been tempered, they just don't have the same visual (ie 8 Crystal Downs) appeal. 

One fairway stands out to me as encompassing both of my ideals of the possibility of self imposed blindness and flowing terrain through the green...
   

   

Opposed to this outstanding fairway, but with the visual dissonance of a flattish green.
 

Few, very few courses can match Pennard for fairway interest.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

The 2nd at Montrose -





atb

[Jeff_Brauer]

Adam,

Been away from the computer, and lots of options, but I go with my first gut feel answer when I read your question - 14 at Pasatiempo, with its natural grass swale, smoothed only a bit and mowed as fairway.

[Sam Krume]

gonna chuck in the 12th at The Addington

[Bill_McBride]

Adam,

Been away from the computer, and lots of options, but I go with my first gut feel answer when I read your question - 14 at Pasatiempo, with its natural grass swale, smoothed only a bit and mowed as fairway.

Interestingly, there is quite a flat area at the bottom, and it's at the perfect angle into the angled green. 

[V. Kmetz]

Hello,


I can't locate pictures right now but if its "wavy moonscape" that is desired, the 6th at Fisher's Island ought to be considered...


And the fairway criteria for me on a golf course is first and foremost whether those interesting visual and playing properties fit the hole and the shot to be played from it (them).


For some time I've heldthis feature is a sublime strength at Winged Foot's courses...that there is general safety in hitting a fairway, yes...but a premium on playing to a smaller "A" spot where the properties of the lie and the angle into green contours will aid a skilled golfer to execute the exacting approaches which comprise the teeth of those two esteemed courses.


It's one of the reasons the 93% tree clearing works so well there...not just the agronomic reasons... but the fact that some of those A spots were being marginalized by tree interference, while some of the B and C spots were getting an increased degree of already challenging approaches.


cheers
vk

[David Whitmer]

I was really pleasantly surprised at the 8th at Royal Dornoch when I climbed down the hill and met that beautiful rolling fairway. It made the 2nd shot very interesting.

[Parker Page]

I would nominate two #12's – Myopia Hunt Club and Erin Hills.

[Jon Cavalier]

I would nominate two #12's – Myopia Hunt Club and Erin Hills.

Love the 12th at Myopia as well.

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